BOG Meeting Summary: March 11
In compliance with Ontario’s Essential Services Order, the Carleton Board of Governors held their meeting remotely on March 11, 2021. Minutes from the meeting will be posted on the Board of Governors website once available. The following are highlights:
COVID-19 – National Day of Observance
On the one-year anniversary of COVID-19 being declared a global pandemic, the Chair began the meeting by recognizing the National Day of Observance for all virus victims. He acknowledged the challenges faced by the Carleton community and thanked frontline workers for their service.
Carleton Research Update
Dr. Rafik Goubran, Vice-President (Research and International), provided the Board with an update on Carleton’s research activities. In recent years, Carleton has simultaneously increased both its annual research funding and research impact. Research is a key pillar of the university’s success and plays a vital role in Carleton’s reputation and ranking. Dr. Goubran outlined a series of research goals for the future, which included strengthening and implementing the new Strategic Integrated Plan and International Plan, promoting and celebrating research accomplishments and expanding industry partnerships.
Advisory Committee and the President and Vice-Chancellor
On Feb. 4, 2021, the Carleton Board of Governors launched a reappointment process for the President and Vice-Chancellor. As indicated in the reappointment guidelines, the Board was tasked with creating a 13-person President and Vice-Chancellor Reappointment Advisory Committee. To fulfill this primary requirement, the Board approved the committee’s membership. Further updates pertaining to the reappointment process will continue to be posted on the Board of Governors website.
Ancillary Services Budget
The ancillary services on campus, the largest being Residence, Dining, Conference Services and Athletics, are expected to fund their own services, deferred maintenance and capital projects. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting shut-down of campus, the ancillaries have experienced a significant decrease in revenue for the 2020/’21 year. Consequently, the ancillaries now face a depletion of their capital reserves. The Board of Governors approved the 2021/’22 Ancillary Budget, which included a one-time transfer of $22.5M from the University’s Capital Reserve Fund to the Ancillary Capital Reserve Fund. These funds are earmarked for maintaining the quality of ancillary infrastructures over time.
President’s Report
President Bacon provided an update on recent activities and accomplishments that have taken place at Carleton since the December 2020 Board meeting. You can access the full report here.
The President also spoke to the disruptions caused by COVID-19, and restated that the Summer 2021 semester will be mostly online. No final decisions have been made for the Fall 2021 term, but the most likely scenario appears to be a gradual and safe return to campus with a mixed model of course delivery to ensure flexibility for students. The Carleton University Scenario Planning Working Group will soon be engaging the community in consultations on these important decisions.
Governor Spotlight: Ann Tremblay
The Board of Governors consists of 32 volunteers representing the Carleton community, like Ann Tremblay. Ann joined the Board in 2019 as a community-at-large representative. Learn more about Ann.
Next Meeting: April 29, 2021
The next meeting of the 2020/2021 Board year is scheduled for April 29, 2021. Open session meeting materials are posted one week in advance of each meeting. More information on items approved, as well as minutes from previous meetings, can be found on the Board of Governors website.
Sincerely,
Dan Fortin
Chair, Carleton University Board of Governors
To learn more about the Carleton University Board of Governors, including membership, meeting schedule and official minutes, visit carleton.ca/boardofgovernors